| Work Detail |
The project, titled Power-to-MEDME, is led by the Fraunhofer Institute in Chile. The construction of a pilot plant for the production of green methanol and dimethyl ether (DME) is planned in the north of the country.
The Fraunhofer Institute in Chile carries out research that seeks to reduce costs and increase efficiency throughout the entire process chain, from renewable hydrogen production to CO2 capture and dimethyl ether (DME) production.
The project, called Power-to-MEDME, also proposes the construction of a pilot plant for the production of green methanol and DME in the megawatt range by Linde GmbH in northern Chile. There they will seek to simulate the processes and research and develop materials for “the individual steps of the chain, in addition to evaluating the markets in Chile and around the world, and carrying out an expansion of the plant,” according to Fraunhofer.
It is added that the carbon dioxide necessary for the production of green methanol and DME will be supplied by a Chilean cement factory whose CO2 emissions are captured.
Both green methanol and DME “can be used as fuels for the transportation sector, among others,” states the information, which clarifies: “Specifically, the project plans to use these fuels to refuel the existing heavy mining vehicles on the site.” .
The necessary electricity - it is further stated - will be supplied by a local solar thermal power plant, presumably Cerro Dominador .
Fraunhofer ISEs work also includes a new synthesis route for DME, an efficient and compact process to produce it from hydrogen and CO2 for which it has demonstrated viability at laboratory scale, and which will now continue to be developed and established at scale. pilot plant.
In addition, site analysis is being used to identify suitable locations for the construction of renewable energy plants and the development of a large-scale process chain for green hydrogen derivatives, as well as evaluating the use of concentrated solar energy. .
Researchers are also carrying out techno-economic analyses, including calculating production costs.
In another work package, Fraunhofer ISE is investigating potential pollutant emissions from the use of DME as fuel for commercial vehicles and developing strategies and measures to reduce them.
Germanys Federal Ministry of Education and Research is funding the project with more than €11 million ($11.8 million). |
